Trump’s Board of Peace to gather for first meeting
Good morning and welcome to the US politics live blog. The inaugural meeting of US president Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, his initiative to bring an end to the war in Gaza, begins today with representatives from more than 45 countries expected to attend.
But some major European allies, including the UK, Germany and France, have turned down their invitations, wary of the group’s operations and its potential to rival the UN. There is also no Palestinian representation on the board, while Israel holds a seat.
The summit comes almost three months since the UN security council approved a US-backed ceasefire plan, which included a two-year mandate for the Board of Peace to oversee the demilitarisation and reconstruction of Gaza. Key issues that remain unresolved include the disarmament of Hamas, the withdrawal of Israeli troops in Gaza, the scale of reconstruction and the flow of humanitarian aid into the territory.
Trump announced ahead of the meeting that board members have pledged $5bn (£3.7bn) for the reconstruction efforts, a fraction of the $70bn (£52bn) needed to rebuild the Palestinian territory that has been devastated by two years of conflict.
The ceasefire in Gaza remains fragile, with Israel and Hamas accusing each other of violating the agreement. Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israeli troops withdrew to positions behind a so-called yellow line, although they remain in control of more than half the territory.
Key events
Andrew Roth
Reporting from Washington
Donald Trump has endorsed Hungary’s Viktor Orbán ahead of parliamentary elections in which the illiberal European leader could be pushed out of office after 16 years in power.
Nodding to criticisms that endorsing foreign leaders would amount to elections interference, Trump said: “I’m not supposed to be endorsing people, but I endorse when I like people. You know, I’ve had a very good record of endorsing candidates within the United States, but now I endorse foreign leaders, including Viktor Orbán.”
Trump said that his support for Argentina’s Javier Milei, another attendee of the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, had also helped his party in recent elections.
“He was a little behind in the polls,” Trump added. “He ended up winning in a landslide.”
Turning back to Orban, he said: “Prime Minister Orban of Hungary … has my complete and total endorsement for election. Not everybody in Europe loves that endorsement. That’s OK. He does an unbelievable job. He’s done an incredible job on immigration. Unlike some countries that have hurt themselves, they’re working on it,” Trump said.
Secretary of state Marco Rubio had previously suggested that the US would provide Hungary with financial support and an extension of sanctions relief on purchasing Russian gas and oil for as long as the conservative leader is in power.
Few details so far on how Trump plans to solve the conflict in Gaza or begin the reconstruction of the wartorn region.
Trump kicked off his remarks with his misleading claim that he’s ended eight wars. He notes that the conflict in Ukraine continues to evade him.
As he welcomes member states today, he says “there’s never been anything close” to this level of prestige when it comes to the Board of Peace.
Andrew Roth
Reporting from Washington
Donald Trump’s inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace is off to a late start. World leaders and delegates mainly from the Middle East and Asia are gathered for a family photo before the speeches begin at the recently renamed Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace. Trump enters the room and exchanges a few words with Viktor Orbán, a rightwing ally and a rare European leader who has chosen to attend the event. US Nato allies have chosen not to join the organisation and send observers instead, with some saying the Board of Peace undermines other international organisations like the United Nations. Trump then exchanges handshakes with a number of autocrats including Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev, as well as rightwing allies like Argentina’s Javier Milei.
US speakers include Trump, secretary of state Marco Rubio, envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz. JD Vance is there for the photo but is not scheduled to speak.
The speaking list is dominated by Gulf countries, with representatives for Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar all set to speak, as well as the leaders of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the foreign minister of Turkey and the president of Romania.
Also somewhat surprisingly delegates will see a video presentation by Fifa. Though that may not be surprising given Fifa president Gianni Infantino’s close relationship with Trump.
“I think we have to smile,” Trump says. “A lot of good people.”
“Does everybody like the music? It’s good music.”
We’re just moments away.
As we wait for the Board of Peace event to begin, my colleague Jakub Krupa notes that Italy, Poland, Czech Republic and Romania are among more than a dozen of countries sending senior officials to the meeting, but only Hungary is actually expected to be part of the board as a member. This comes as several key European allies, as well as the Vatican, snubbed the US’ invitation to join the board.
Lawmakers push war powers resolution to curb possible military action in Iran
Congressmen Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie plan to introduce a war powers resolution next week, and try to force a vote on the House floor, to curb the Trump administration’s possible military action against Iran.
“Trump officials say there’s a 90% chance of strikes on Iran. He can’t without Congress,” said Khanna, a California Democrat, amid the reports that the US is positioning aircraft carriers and amassing a large arsenal of fighter jets for a potential strikes.
He’s teamed up with Republican Massie – whom he worked with to push the Epstein Files Transparency Act on to the House floor – on the legislation.
“I first got into politics to end the Iraq War. I won’t let Trump launch a disastrous war without Congress voting to stop it,” Khanna added.
Donald Trump will start his day in Washington for the Board of Peace meeting at the White House.
He’ll then travel to Rome, Georgia, as part of his tour of the country to tout the administration’s affordability message. He’ll meet with local businesses there, and deliver remarks at 4pm ET.
In recent months, the president has visited various cities to try and showcase the positive impact of his economic agenda, and today will be no exception. We’ll bring you the latest lines as they happen. We’ll also be keeping an ear out for more of Trump’s thinking when it comes to possible military action against Iran.
US gathers largest air power in Middle East since 2003 Iraq invasion – report
The significant buildup of US air power in the Middle East is the largest since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, according to a report.
That invasion began with a “shock and awe” bombing campaign on Baghdad in a violent display of US military power. Now, the US is considering launching an attack on Iran, with cutting-edge F-35 and F-22 jet fighters sent to the Middle East and a second aircraft carrier loaded with attack and electronic-warfare planes on the way, the Wall Street Journal has reported.
US officials told the newspaper that the firepower will give the US the option of carrying out a sustained, weeks-long air war against Iran. Trump has received several briefings on his options should he decide to strike, all of them designed to maximise damage to Iran’s regime and its regional proxies, the officials said.
Those options, according to the officials, include a campaign to kill Iranian political and military leaders and an air attack striking nuclear and ballistic-missile facilities.
While Trump is (reportedly) weighing a potential attack against Iran and presiding over the first Board of Peace meeting in Washington, he is also squeezing in a trip to the battleground state of Georgia today to boost the Republican party’s political standing in the crucial midterm elections.
The Trump administration said his trip will focus on the economy, but notably he is scheduled to visit Rome, in the north-west of Georgia, which lies in congressional district previously represented by Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Trump firebrand who resigned in January after feuding with the president. There’s a special election to replace her on 10 March.
“Georgia is obviously a very important state to the president and to the Republican party,” said the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on the eve of his visit.
In Gaza, the charity Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, said it will continue working in the Palestinian territory for as long as possible following an Israeli decision to end its activities there.
Earlier this month, Israel announced it will suspend the charity’s operations in Gaza after the humanitarian organisation refused to hand over personal details of its staff members to Israeli authorities.
MSF has criticised the move, which takes effect on 1 March, as a “pretext” to obstruct aid.
“For the time being, we are still working in Gaza, and we plan to keep running our operations as long as we can,” Filipe Ribeiro, head of mission for Palestine at MSF, told the AFP news agency.
The Guardian’s community affairs correspondent, Geneva Abdul, spoke to medics in the UK and US who believe they have been denied re-entry to Gaza after speaking out on the conflict. You can read the full report here:
Trump officials plan to build 5,000-person military base in Gaza, files show
The Trump administration is planning to build a 5,000-person military base in Gaza, sprawling more than 350 acres, according to Board of Peace contracting records reviewed by the Guardian.
The site is envisioned as a military operating base for a future International Stabilisation Force (ISF), planned as a multinational military force composed of pledged troops. The ISF is part of the newly created Board of Peace which is meant to govern Gaza. The Board of Peace is chaired by Donald Trump and led in part by his son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The plans reviewed by the Guardian call for the phased construction of a military outpost that will eventually have a footprint of 1,400 metres by 1,100 metres, ringed by 26 trailer-mounted armoured watch towers, a small arms range, bunkers and a warehouse for military equipment for operations. The entire base will be encircled with barbed wire.
Read the full report here:
Meanwhile, Russia and Iran have staged navy drills in the Gulf of Oman, as the Kremlin called for restraint amid growing fears of a US military attack against Tehran.
The Kremlin said the joint drills were planned exercises and no cause for alarm, but it comes against the backdrop of heightened US military activity in the Middle East in recent weeks.
“Russia continues to develop relations with Iran and in doing so, we call on our Iranian friends and all parties in the region to exercise restraint and prudence,” said the Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov.
“We are currently witnessing an unprecedented escalation of tension in the region, but we still hope that political and diplomatic means and negotiations will continue to prevail in the search for a settlement.”
In other news, there have been reports that the US military is preparing for possible strikes on Iran, potentially as soon as this weekend.
Unnamed sources quoted in New York Times, CBS News and CNN say Trump has yet to make a decision on how to proceed, but the significant buildup of US military activity in the Middle East capable of striking nuclear facilities and other targets in Iran has continued this week despite indirect talks between the two countries on Tuesday.
Trump has repeatedly demanded Iran cease its nuclear programme, and has warned he intends to use force if no deal is reached.
Read the full report on this story here:
Jason Burke
Gaza death toll in early part of war far higher than reported, says Lancet study
More than 75,000 people were killed in the first 16 months of the two-year war in Gaza, at least 25,000 more than the death toll announced by local authorities at the time, according to a study published on Wednesday in the Lancet medical journal.
The research also found that reporting by the Gaza health ministry about the proportion of women, children and elderly people among those killed was accurate.
A total of 42,200 women, children and elderly people died between 7 October 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack into Israel that prompted a devastating Israeli offensive into Gaza, and 5 January 2025, the study found. These deaths comprised 56% of violent deaths in Gaza.
“The combined evidence suggests that, as of 5 January 2025, 3-4% of the population of the Gaza Strip had been killed violently and there have been a substantial number of non-violent deaths caused indirectly by the conflict,” the authors of the study wrote in the Lancet Global Health.
Read the full report here:
Authoritarians, strongmen and dictators: who is on Trump’s Board of Peace?
A grouping of largely oppressive and authoritarian world leaders and their envoys are flying to Washington for the inaugural meeting of Donald Trump’s newly established Board of Peace.
Global powers, including Washington’s traditional allies, fear the US-led body is an attempt to sidestep the more democratic United Nations and replace it with a fee-paying members’ club run on the whims of a single man.
It is not clear how many of the more than 20 members of the Board of Peace, which Trump runs and chairs, will attend the first meeting on Thursday. What is clear is that many of the founding member countries are run as military regimes or dictatorships, while others joined to appease Trump.
The Guardian’s Olive Holmes has more on the list of several confirmed attenders, and where their countries are placed in an annual ranking on political rights and civil liberties, here:
Trump’s Board of Peace to gather for first meeting
Good morning and welcome to the US politics live blog. The inaugural meeting of US president Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, his initiative to bring an end to the war in Gaza, begins today with representatives from more than 45 countries expected to attend.
But some major European allies, including the UK, Germany and France, have turned down their invitations, wary of the group’s operations and its potential to rival the UN. There is also no Palestinian representation on the board, while Israel holds a seat.
The summit comes almost three months since the UN security council approved a US-backed ceasefire plan, which included a two-year mandate for the Board of Peace to oversee the demilitarisation and reconstruction of Gaza. Key issues that remain unresolved include the disarmament of Hamas, the withdrawal of Israeli troops in Gaza, the scale of reconstruction and the flow of humanitarian aid into the territory.
Trump announced ahead of the meeting that board members have pledged $5bn (£3.7bn) for the reconstruction efforts, a fraction of the $70bn (£52bn) needed to rebuild the Palestinian territory that has been devastated by two years of conflict.
The ceasefire in Gaza remains fragile, with Israel and Hamas accusing each other of violating the agreement. Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israeli troops withdrew to positions behind a so-called yellow line, although they remain in control of more than half the territory.